Product packaging for products like medications are typically either child-resistant or senior-friendly, but not both. Children of the age groups intended to be prevented from opening child-resistant packaging typically have limited ability to combine two distinct motions into one movement, such as applying a force to press down on one part of a package while at the same time rotating the same or another part of the package. For example, to open a typical child-resistant pill bottle often requires a user to apply a large downward force directly on a cap of the pill bottle, so that the latches in the cap clear the lugs disposed on the top edge of the bottle, and then rotate the bottle cap while maintaining the downward force on the cap. The force required to push downward on the cap to open these types of bottles is often so large that it is even difficult for senior-citizens, as well as children, to open the bottles. In addition, other child-resistant pill bottles do not require that the entire cap be pressed downward, but do require that a large cantilevered latch disposed in the edge of the bottle neck be pressed downward to move a latching lug out of engagement from the corresponding lugs in the bottle cap. This cantilevered latch is short and fairly stiff, and often times, the significant amount of force required to depress the latch is greater than many seniors are capable of applying. Accordingly, these types of packages unintentionally end up being both child and senior resistant, as opposed to being child-resistant and senior-friendly.
Other methods used to open additional typical product packages include: squeezing two depressed areas on a cap while rotating the cap, which requires significant strength; pulling on a ring, which requires both strength and dexterity; breaking off an individual sealed product blister from the rest of the blisters and tearing the plastic blister open to access the product inside, all of which requires considerable strength and dexterity; and pushing a product, like a pill, through a child-resistant film/foil, which requires both strength and dexterity.
Accordingly, there is a need for a product package that is both child-resistant and easy to open such that it is senior-citizen friendly.